Synonyms of deform

deform

verb

di-ˈfȯrm 

as in to distort

to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition

a cynic whose face seems to be permanently deformed by a sneer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distort
• contort
• screw
• curl
• misshape
• warp
• torture
• disfigure
• deface
• squinch
• loop
• coil
• spiral
• wind
• wring
• wrench
• twine
• wrest
• wreathe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• unbend
• uncurl

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deform contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deform are contort, distort, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

How are the words distort and contort related as synonyms of deform?

Distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure

disease had contorted her body

When can warp be used instead of deform?

In some situations, the words warp and deform are roughly equivalent. However, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deform

Smaller implants are also lighter, more comfortable, and less apt to stretch, strain, and deform the tissues over time. —Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025

The Sun’s magnetic field lines can be very twisted, and the solar wind and coronal mass ejections deform and drag them outward from the Sun. —Samuel Badman, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025

Both of the Yunxian skulls were deformed from millennia spent underground, but the second, known as Yunxian 2, was better preserved. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025

According to Burlison, the video shows a high-speed object—presumably the missile—hitting the orb, which then deforms, tumbles, and sheds smaller fragments, one barely visible. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025